Saturday, August 20, 2016

10. BATTLE IN SPACE 2

Once the commandos were set, NSF’s agents went in full force against the villains who had come together under the direction of Megatron, the Decepticon. But Galactus remained still. Suspended in space, it appeared he didn’t want to fight. The Autobots who were charged to engage him let him be and went after the Decepticons. Yet one warrior remained unnoticed to the fighters. He watched the scene from within a wire of Galactus’ armour and when the fighting began, he moved out. He went down on one knee on his board as he floated by Galactus’ right hand.

It was the Silver Surfer;[7] the man Galactus turned into an energy being. The Silver Surfer was disturbed on watching the scene. His human emotions emerged as he pondered on the action of Nootra. The agents of NSF were fighting the villains at their own peril. It was obvious they were no match for Megatron and his powerful allies, yet they still believed in their victory. The Silver Surfer couldn’t pretend he didn’t know in the depths of his heart that Megatron and his friends were wrong. But Galactus, his master, was on their side and he dared not go against him. At least, not until Galactus had fulfilled the promise of taking him back to his beloved.

Alan was watchful enough to notice the unseen warrior. The Earthling knew he was there since he was Galactus’ herald. The Silver Surfer was one of Alan’s favourite heroes and he wanted to meet him. He sought his champion and found him. While observing the Silver Surfer, Alan perceived his indecision and he asked Cliffjumper to allow him to go and talk to him.

Alan: “I know the Silver Surfer and I’m certain he’ll listen to me. We need all possible strategies to win this battle. Only the Silver Surfer can help us out against Galactus. He’ll be a valuable ally and more, a good friend. Trust me Cliff.”

Zach: “I hope you know what you’re doing Al.”

Ryan: “He knows Zach; he perceived it in his spirit: the Silver Surfer is one of us. Cliff, there’s no danger. You can let him go.”

The Earthlings persuaded Cliffjumper and he permitted Alan to carry out his plan. Alan moved towards the Silver Surfer and as he approached, the Silver Surfer, without making any brusque movement, turned his head in his direction. When the Silver Surfer looked at him, Alan spoke out.

Alan: “Silver Surfer, you have to help the Autobots and their friends. Galactus is using you for his greedy purpose but you’re not obliged to serve him. You can choose to fight for the good cause right now Surfer.”

Silver Surfer: “Who are you? Why do you say these things to me? Do you know me?”

Alan: “What I know is that Norrin Radd is a good man who sacrificed himself to save his world. He was forced to serve Galactus to prevent his native planet from being devoured. I know he may be afraid something bad might happen to his people if he disobeyed Galactus. But I also know that if it depended on fear, nothing would be accomplished in the world. Acts of justice and love need no compensation – they’re recompense in themselves. I know you Silver Surfer and I know you don’t fight for the evil cause.”

Silver Surfer: “You’re right; but I’m confused about everything. I used to justify myself for serving Galactus though I knew his ways were wrong. I’ve been lying to myself all these years. I longed so much for Shalla-Bal[8] that I did everything Galactus asked me to do without consulting my conscience. Shalla-Bal wouldn’t like the man I’ve become. I have lost all honour.”

Alan: “It’s never too late to make a new beginning Norrin. Man’s story isn’t only about his fall, but much more about his rising. You too can do it Surfer because you’re a man.”

Bowing his head in a few moments of reflection, Silver Surfer raised it again with another expression on his face; one devoid of fear and full of determination to serve the people of his world. A fire kindled in the all-white eyes of Norrin Radd as he took the noblest decision of his cosmic life.

Silver Surfer: “I’ve made up my mind come what may. Right now, I choose not to serve this glutton anymore.”

The Silver Surfer stood his ground and used his Power Cosmic against Galactus. He formed a lightning bolt from his energy and shot it at him. This stirred Galactus and he turned his head to see what happened.

Silver Surfer: “I was blind to have worked for you all these years Galactus. You go about devouring worlds and you use me as herald for that. You have caused harm to countless planets and made me accursed in the universe. Today, I free myself from your rule. I know I can’t be redeemed but this act shall be a sign of plea for forgiveness from all the peoples I have wronged.”

Alan: “He may be mighty but we have the Almighty on our side, and He alone is our maker. Do it silver head.”

Standing up erect on his board, the Silver Surfer went in for a frontal confrontation with his former master. Before this fight began, the X-Men had already started engaging Magneto.

Wolverine: “Always with the bad guys Magnus? What won’t you do for the cause of evil? And Xavier said you’ve changed.”

Magneto: “Always irrational Wolverine, and never using your head? You’re slow to understand what business is all about.”

Cyclops: “Business? And you said you were fighting the mutants’ cause.”

Magneto: “Cybertron has a recording of the entire history of this dimension. The bargain I have with Megatron will grant me access to mutants’ history and developments of all times, and enable me to find all unidentified mutants dispersed across the galaxy. Cyclops, don’t you want to know your origins? Ask yourselves this question apprentices of Xavier: why would they hide our history from us if not because of some bad thing they did to our ancestors?”

Storm: “There has been injustice towards people throughout history. It’s deplorable yet we can’t do anything to change the past. In Nootra, we have the possibility of preventing such things from happening to people again. As for me Magneto, I do know my origins as a mutant: it is in Nootra. Nothing about my origins can qualify me apart from what I am in Nootra.”

Archangel: “Besides, where will that knowledge take us to if not to more hatred and strife?”

Magneto: “Because you think there can be justice without truth angel?”

Jean Grey: “But the truth you can’t deny Magneto is that Nootra is hiding nothing from us. Yet if you’re so keen on knowing the contents of the archives of Cybertron, you should tell Xavier. He won’t refuse you something as dear to your heart as that knowledge.”

Archangel: “Yes, the professor would have done that for you but you instead chose to ally yourself with Megatron, whose aspirations are always evil.”

Wolverine: “Stop trying to reason with him. He must have something fouler in his mind besides what he says. I’ve learnt to trust nothing coming from him. So why not stop this diplomacy and go for the hard way?”

Thanoseid: “Somebody is talking at last. Who shall I smash first?”

That was when the iconic superhero of all-time made his entrance into the Battle of Agnam. He didn’t hesitate to answer Thanoseid accordingly.

Superman: “You mean, who shall smash you first?”

Storm: “Superman? What are you doing here? J’onn said you had to remain in the city with Cap to protect citizens now that Decepticons have deployed their troops everywhere.”

Jean Grey: “You came purposely for Thanoseid, didn’t you?”

Superman: “Don’t worry X-Men; I’ll be done with these two in no time and get back to Nootra to assist Cap. Leave Thanoseid to me and concentrate on Magneto.”

Wolverine: “I won’t mind taking him down myself but if you say so.”

Cyclops: “Be careful man; Thanoseid is no angel.”

Superman: “Neither am I.”

Archangel: “But I am one. What have you guys got with angels?”

Superman engaged the battle with Thanoseid while Wolverine, Archangel, Cyclops, Storm and Jean Grey fought Magneto. To review their invasion plan, the Decepticons entered a force field before the Autobots attacked them. This hid them temporarily from their adversaries.

Megatron: “We won’t succeed if NSF’s agents keep on coming. Now it’s Superman; next Captain Nootra will be here, and if they use the fusion, they’ll certainly dispose of Galactus. It would be better for us to retreat to Cybertron and keep them away with the dome before our whole plan falls through.”

Starscream: “Retreat? I wonder how you became leader of the Decepticons with your lack of insight, your zero strategy, and especially your shameful defeatist attitude.”

Megatron: “Wonder well Starscream, yet it’s I leader of the Decepticons, and not you. Listen comrades, we’re not here to prove anything to the Autobots; it’s obvious we’re stronger than them. We must lay pride aside and ensure we attain our objective.”

Soundwave: “Megatron is right. We must fight with caution. They’ve called for help. Rumble, Ravage and Laserbeak[9] can’t stand up to them.”

Starscream: “Caution is no option Soundwave. There’s no strategy here. Now just tell me how Rumble can be useful in a space war.”

Megatron: “Enough of you Starscream. I can’t afford losing what I’ve worked for these last few years. Remember how long it took us to put this plan together. Nootra is relentless and if we play, they’ll defeat us like in the past. I’ve vowed Cybertron will be mine this time. That’s why I didn’t act alone but allied with these ruthless villains whom I’ll deceive once I achieve my goal. And when I speak of me, I speak of the Decepticons. We must retreat and find a way to hit Optimus Prime and the Autobots hard and leave them down. Astrotrain, activate Retreat Mode 2.”

The Decepticons tried to call back their allies but these were only fully engaged in hostilities once they had started. Then some heroes started falling. It didn’t take long for Galactus to crush the Silver Surfer and send him many light years away from Agnam. Still, Galactus’ anger wasn’t quenched and he went for Trunks and Son Goten.

Galactus: “Dare you tamper with my insatiable hunger and the energy Cybertron will give me? See where the madness of my Silver Surfer took him? Your fate won’t be different from his.”

Galactus was too swift for his size. He instantly got hold of Trunks and flung him towards Bumblebee who was coming to help him. Trunks fell on the Autobot and both went crashing into the surface of Agnam. Galactus turned to Son Goten and grabbed him before he got away. He pressed him hard and Goten screamed out in pain.

Optimus Prime, Ironhide and Bluestreak hurried to the spot and attacked Galactus to free Son Goten from his grip. Optimus Prime opened fire on the cosmic giant from his handgun but he could make no breach in his armour. Ironhide and Bluestreak fired from all angles yet their blasts didn’t penetrate the devourer’s helmet. Though they strove hard, the Autobots didn’t succeed in getting Goten out of Galactus’ hand. Meanwhile Galactus continued to squeeze the young Saiyan and this one screamed out louder and louder.

As Son Goten howled in pain, his cry was heard millions of miles away. It travelled to distant horizons and reached an uninhabited planet to awaken someone who had been in a coma for three years. The influence of that sound over him was so strong that it revived him from oblivion. That cry meant something profound to him. It was associated with his rage, his very motive for living. He opened his eyes and looked at the sky. Memories started rolling over his mind. The old grudges came to the surface and pervaded his soul. He opened his mouth and repeated the one word he held responsible for all his troubles:

“Kakarot, Kakarot, Kakarot.”[10]

When he got up, his power returned to him in full force, and being replenished, he followed the coordinates he captured. Travelling at the speed of light on invisible wings, he moved in the direction of the cry. He traversed stars and planets instantaneously and in no time, arrived at the battle space.

[1] Menasor is the combined form of the Stunticons in The Transformers.

[2] Thanoseid results from the fusion of DC’s Darkseid and Marvel’s Thanos in Amalgam Comics (1996), a publishing imprint shared by DC Comics and Marvel Comics, in which the two comic book publishers merged their characters into new ones. Darkseid first appears in Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 (Nov. 1970) and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby. Thanos first appears in Iron Man #55 (Feb. 1973) and was created by writer-artist Jim Starlin.

[3] Magneto (Magnus) appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the central villain of the X-Men comics. He first appears in X-Men #1 (Sept. 1963), and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby.

[4] Galactus appears in comic books and other publications published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character debuted in Fantastic Four #48 (March 1966), the first of a three-issue story later known as ‘The Galactus Trilogy’.

[5] For Professor Xavier, see the next reference.

[6] Cyclops (Scott Summers), Jean Grey (Red), Storm (Ororo), Wolverine (Logan), and Archangel are members of the X-Men. The X-Men are a superhero team founded by Professor Xavier in the Marvel Comics Universe. They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1 (September 1963).

[7] The Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd) is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. He first appears in Fantastic Four #48 (March 1966), the first of a three-issue arc fans call ‘The Galactus Trilogy’.

[8] Shalla-Bal is a character from Marvel Comics. She first appears in Silver Surfer #1 (Aug 1968) and was created by Stan Lee and John Buscema.

[9] Rumble, Ravage and Laserbeak work in tandem with Soundwave in The Transformers.

[10] Kakarot is the Saiyan name of Son Goku in the Dragon Ball franchise.